OOPS ! From: AC In the last BEN I described Chondrilla as having blue flowers. Chondrilla's flowers are yellow. Otherwise, it does look like a smaller (but yellow!) chicory. I did not find any specimen of Chondrilla in the RBCM herbarium, any donation of the duplicates would be appreciated. (BEN # 21 6-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ SAMBUCUS COERULEA ON VANCOUVER ISLAND From: aceska@cue.bc.ca + hans.roemer@prk.galaxy.bcsystems.gov.bc.ca On a recent field trip to the Woodley Range near Ladysmith Hans Roemer noticed two quite large trees of Sambucus, each about 25 cm in diameter. On the second trip to this area Hans and I examined the trees again and identified them as S. coerulea. Trees grow side by side on a westerly exposed sandstone cliff with Douglas-fir and arbutus. Sambucus coerulea occurs on Vancouver Island in the Duncan area usually grows in disturbed sites, along roads etc. The Woodley Range site is the only site we know from an undisturbed area. (Oluna reminded me of many dead Sambucus trees on Sandy Island NW of Denman Island). We would like to hear from anybody who has seen Sambucus coerulea in relatively undisturbed habitats on Vancouver Island. (BEN # 21 6-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ STACION JATUN SACHA - ECUADOR From: Adolf Ceska Biological station Jatun Sacha (435 hectares, 75% of which is primary forest) is situated in the upper Napo River Valley (elev. 450 m) at the foothils of the Andes, about 20 km SE of the provincial capital city Tena. The station is associated with the Missouri Botanical Garden, the executive director is Dr. David Neill (see The National Geographic, November 1990). The rain forest is one of the richest in trees in the world. Dave and his helpers counted 250 species of trees (only those with diameter > 10 cm) on a one hectare plot. About 440 species of birds were recorded in and around Jatun Sacha. The station can accommodate up to 24 visitors at a time. Sleeping facilities consist of bank beds in "open-air cabins." Bring your own sleeping bag or light blanket and food. Cooking facilities, a gas stove and cookware are provided. Station fees for North American and European researchers are US $7.00 daily. Address: Jatun Sacha Biological Station, Casilla 17-12-867, Quito, Ecuador. Phone: (593-2) 433-937. Jatun Sacha seeks donations for the Ecuadorian student program. About US $600 will support a student for a six-months research grant. Donations to the program are tax-deductible (even in Canada, I was told), and may be send to Dr. Enrique Forero, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166. Donations are also sought to purchase additional land adjacent to the present boundaries of Jatun Sacha (235 ha out of 435 ha were bought in 1991). Tax-deductible donations for the Jatun Sacha land acquisition program may be sent to Green Ink, Inc., c/o Judith Kimerling, 23 Waverly Place, Apt. 4-F, New York, NY 10003. (BEN # 21 6-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ RAINFOREST RESCUE PLAN From: New Scientist 21/28 December, p. 7. The World Bank, G7, and EC agreed to grant Brazil $250 million for conservation of the Amazon Basin. More than $100 million are earmarked to support two science institutes in the Amazon region (National Institute of Brazilian Studies at Manaus and Goeldi Museum at Belem). The program will also fund the establishment of national parks, tribal reserves and new zones set aside for nondestructive activities (rubber tapping & collecting Brazil nuts). In return for the money, Brazil conceded control of the purse strings. All projects must be approved by the World Bank. Brazil, however, is still considering to include into the pilot program a large project to plant eucalyptus trees across 10,000 square kilometers of former natural forest land in the Carajas region. (BEN # 21 6-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW BOOKS Schultes, R.E. & R.F. Raffauf. 1990. The healing forest: medicinal and toxic plants of the northwest Amazonia. Dioscorides Press, Portland, OR. 484 p. ISBN 0-931146-14-3 [hardbound] Price: US$59.95 "The most important book on South American ethnobotany ever published." The book deals with 1,497 species representing 596 genera. (BEN # 21 6-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY POSITIONS From: University Affairs, Jan. 1992, p. 35. The Department of Botany at the University of British Columbia is seeking applications to fill two tenure track positions: 1) Bryologist, Phycologist or Mycologist whose research interest emphasize biodiversity, systematics, evolution, or evolutionary ecology to start January 1, 1993. 2)Developmental Botanist employing a variety of approaches (molecular, genetic, cytological) to fundamental problems in plant development to start July 1, 1992. Application (deadline February 29, 1992) should be sent to Dr. David H. Turpin, Head, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, #3529-6270 University Blvd. Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4 (BEN # 21 6-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ CONTRIBUTORS TO BEN 1991 I would like to thank all of you who contributed messages, notes, and articles to BEN 1991. The contributors in the last year were (the authors marked with an asterisk originally wrote their contributions for another list): Gerry Allen, * Steven R. Becker, William R Burk, Ken Chambers, Roy Cranston, Alison Davis, Marten Geertsema, Art Guppy, Cris Guppy, Andrew Harcombe, * J.A. Love, Malcom E. Martin, Sherry Kirkvold, Rick Kool, Andy MacKinnon, Del Meidinger, Bob Ogilvie, Jim Pojar, * Louis Schmittroth, Gary Shearman, * Linda Sims, Terry Taylor, Ed Tisch, and Nancy Turner. (BEN # 21 6-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ JAN LOOMAN 1919-1991 Dr. Jan Looman was a specialist in grassland ecology, range management and the prairie flora at the Agriculture Canada Research Station, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Jan was born in Holland, where he did his undergraduate degree in phytosociology. After moving to Canada he took his Ph.D. in grassland ecology at the University of Wisconsin. This combination of a background in Braun-Blanquet phytosociology and Curtis continuum ecology gave him a unique approach to vegetation ecology. His research on the grassland vegetation of western Canada was very detailed and thorough. He carried out floristic surveys and plot analyses from Manitoba to western Alberta and central B.C. He also grew provenances of the major prairie species from which he obtained data on their morphology, phenology, growth development and productivity. The following are some of his main publications on grassland ecology: Classification of the grasslands of Saskatchewan, 1963, Ecology 44; Fescue grasslands of western Canada, 1969, Vegetatio 19; Phytosociology of the Canadian prairies, 1977, Handbook of Vegetation Science 13; Vegetation of the Canadian prairies, 1980- 1980, Phytocoenologia 8-9; Fescue grasslands of western North America, 1982, Grassland Symposium-Kamloops. Besides this research on grassland ecology he worked on several applied aspects of range management: on forage production and carrying capacity of rangeland, and on seeded pastures and hayland. Jan was a pioneer in research on the lichen and bryophyte flora of grassland vegetation (Ecology 45:1964; Bryologist 65,67: 1962,1964). He was co-author and author of two important prairie floras: Flora of the Prairie Provinces - Looman & Best, 1979, 1981; and Identification of Prairie Grasses - Best, Looman & Campbell, 1971, 1977, 1982). Jan was Curator of the Herbarium at Swift Current, with approximately 10,000 specimens of prairie vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes. Jan was an active participant in the Saskatchewan Natural History Society, and was very involved - behind the scenes - in working for the establishing of a Grassland National Park in southern Saskatchewan. Jan Looman died August 28, 1991 at Swift Current. - R.T. Ogilvie (BEN # 22 12-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ FRIENDLY WEEVIL TO CONTROL CENTAUREA SOLSTITIALIS From: rec.gardens A friendly European weevil that attacks a notorious weed has successfully established small, new colonies in California, Oregon, and Washington yellow starthistle patches. If these Eustenopus villosus weevils flourish at their West Coast outposts, the quarter-inch long insects could spread and may eventually help control yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis). ARS researchers in Europe helped test the weevil to make sure it attacks only starthistle, then last year shipped the insects to a California laboratory for the first-ever outdoor release in the U.S. More weevils, also collected in Europe, were released in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho this year. Reference: QUARTERLY REPORT OF SELECTED RESEARCH PROJECTS, July 1 to September 30, 1991, 1. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Information Staff, Beltsville, MD 20705.) For more information, contact: Charles E. Turner, Plant Protection Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Albany CA, (510) 559-5975 OR Stephen L. Clement, Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research, Pullman, WA, (509) 335-1502 OR Sean Adams, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff, Beltsville, MD, (301) 344-3108. (BEN # 22 12-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ WILDFLOWER WEEK Region 6 of the U.S. Forest Service will be showcasing Washington and Oregon's wildflowers May 18-24, 1992, by sponsoring Wildflower Week. It is a celebration of one of our most beautiful and diverse natural resources. The purpose of Wildflower Week is to promote conservation management of native plants and their habitats, including threatened, endangered and sensitive plants, through enhancing awareness, support and appreciation of wildflowers on the National Forests and Grasslands. To accomplish this, several events are being planned, including wildflower field trips, a photo contest and wildflower shows and displays. Some of the forests are developing wildflower viewing brochures. If you are interested in being involved in Wildflower Week activities or projects, call your local botanist or Native Plant Society chapter president. Partnerships with interested groups and individuals are currently being sought. There are many ways organizations can participate. Partnerships can involve matching monies, labor and equipment, sharing technical skills, sponsoring activities or field trips. For more information, please contact Kathy Ahlenslager, Forest Botanist, Colville National Forest, 765 S. Main, Colville, WA 99114; 509-684-7212. (BEN # 23 15-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ BEN ON US FOREST SERVICE COMPUTER NETWORK From: John DeLapp I'm employed by the Alaska Natural Heritage Program here in Anchorage. I am working on the rare plants on the Tongass and Chugach National Forests here in Alaska. I am connected to the USFS computer network and have been taking the liberty to distribute BEN across that network to Forest Service botanists here in Alaska and in the Pacific Northwest. I was asked by the FS regional botanist Dean Longrie in Seattle to pass this announcement [Wildflower Week] on to you. (BEN # 23 15-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ SIMILKAMEEN RIVER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT A hydro power dam is planned on the Similkameen River about 13 km south (upstream) of Princeton, B.C. (near Copper Mountain just south - upstream of the present mining activities). The dam should be about 500 ft. high and the reservoir will be 14 km long (the elevation of the crest will be 3,070 ft.). The dam should provide 22 Megawatts to the Tulameen, Princeton, Hedley, and associated regions. This area is at the extreme western end of the present supplier's (West Kootenay Power) distribution system and is subjected to many supply problems. The company proposing the project is Princeton Light & Power Co., Ltd., contact: John Hall, Box 908, Penticton, BC.C., V2A 7G1, Phone: (604) 492-3172, Fax: (604) 492-7323. Environmental etc. study is done by Environment & Socio-economic Consultants, contact: Tom Griffing, Ph.D., Griffing Consultants Inc., 4776 Cedar Tree Lane, Delta, B.C., V4K 4G6, phone: (604) 940-0424, fax: (604) 946-5344. (BEN # 24 21-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ CBA/ABC CONSERVATION POSITION PAPERS From: Adolf Ceska The Canadian Botanical Association released three position papers on topics related to the conservation. 1) Transplantation as a mean of preservation. "The CBA is strongly opposed to the idea that transplanting is a reliable method of conserving rarer species." 2) Gardening with wild plants. "... planting of wildflowers or native shrubs must be done is such a way that it poses no threats to the integrity of natural communities." Guidelines for ethical wildflower gardening are given in the paper. 3) Re-introduction to increase vegetational cover and native species. "... only the native species should be used for reclamation" and the goals of reclamations are: a) protection of remaining natural areas, b) reconnection of natural remnants, and c) enhancing survival of rare species. If you want the full text of the CBA Conservation Position Papers, give me a call. (BEN # 24 21-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW SPECIES From: George Douglas Two new species for B.C. have recently been reported. Gerald Straley informs me that a good voucher of Astragalus spaldingii from Osoyoos Lake has been deposited at UBC. The specimen was collected during 1990 by Trevor Goward. Peter Achuff, botanist for the Montana Natural Heritage Program, has sent me four collections (1991) of Agroseris lackschewitzii from Mt. Assiniboine Prov. Park. This species, described by Doug Henderson in 1990 from Idaho, is readily separated from other Agoseris species. The BC vouchers have been deposited at V and UBC. (BEN # 24 21-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ RE: WILDFLOWER WEEK From: Adolf Ceska The Royal British Columbia Museum wants to join WA and OR and plan activities similar to those proposed by the US Forest Service for May 18-24. The Museum will be asking people from and around Victoria for help. BENitos from the Victoria area, please contact either me (ACESKA) or Roberta Kremer (RKREMER), if you are on the governmental e-mail, or send me a message to aceska@cue.bc.ca . (BEN # 24 21-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ LITERATURE B.C. Conservation Data Centre Newsletter # 2, published by the B.C. Conservation Data Centre, c/o Wildlife Branch, B.C. Environment, 780 Blanshard Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X5 [The issue brings an information on Data Compilation, Salish Sucker - a fish, and above all the "BC Vascular Plant Tracking List"] Hansen, A.J., T.A. Spies, F.J. Swanson, & J.L. Ohmann. 1991. Conserving biodiversity in managed forests: lessons from natural forests. BioScience 41 (No.6): 382-392. [A good summary of Franklin's school of forest management with over 50 references to the original studies.] (BEN # 24 21-January-1992) ------------------------------------------ HAROLD ST. JOHN 1892-1991 Dr. Harold St. John, Professor Emeritus of Botany at the University of Hawaii died at his home in Hawaii on December 12, 1991. Harold St. John's career is of interest to Canadian and British Columbia botanists because of his early work both on the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast. He is the co-author of one our most common plants, our beloved skunk-cabbage Lysichiton americanum Hulten & St. John. St. John studied botany at Harvard University, where he took his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Like many of his Harvard botanical colleagues his interests took him into the unknown parts of Atlantic Canada. In 1913 he made a catalogue, published in 1921, of the flora of Sable Island, those remote islands 100 miles of the coast of Nova Scotia. In 1915 he carried out floristic studies on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which was published by the National Museum of Canada in 1922. St. John was Professor of Botany at the State College of Washington (Washington State University) in Pullman from 1920 to 1929. He added many species records to the flora of Washington and Idaho, and published the "Flora of Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho" in 1937. He published floristic lists for Mt. Baker, Mt. St. Helens, and Glacier Peak. Harold St. John also identified plants sent to him by botanists in British Columbia, including the Provincial Museum. W.B. Anderson sent him the first collection of the magenta satin flower (Sisyrinchium inflatum) from the B.C. interior, and this was discussed in St. John's paper on Olneya vs. Sisyrinchium, 1931 (see BEN No. 19). While at WSU St. John was founder and editor of the journal Research Studies of the State College of Washington. He also befriended the pioneer plant explorer Wilhelm Suksdorf, and sponsored him as a Research Fellow at the College and later as the recipient of an Honourary M.Sc. in Botany in 1928. St. John wrote a biography of Suksdorf in 1955 - published in the Research Studies of the State College of Washington. A measure of St. John's long botanical career is his flora of Glacier Peak. In 1921 and 1924 St. John went by pack-horse to botanise Glacier Peak, a +10,000 foot peak in the northern Cascade Mountains. The Washington Native Plant Society published a special volume of three papers on the flora of the North Cascades in 1986. St. John wrote up his field notes and collections from 1921 and 1924 and published an annotated list of 258 taxa from Glacier Peak. It is an excellent paper, but after it was published St. John wrote to the editor: "I do have objections to your editing which was unusual. I was not sent either galley or page proof, nor given a chance to order reprints. You changed my taxonomy to conform to Hitchcock. Of course his is a recent and well produced book, but his taxonomy is not necessarily correct. On arctic plants he never agreed with Hulten, nor on circumpolar plants with Fernald, our best and wisest recent botanist." (Douglasia, 11(1):8, 1987). Harold St. John moved from WSU to the University of Hawaii in 1929, where he was Professor of Botany and Chairman of the department until his retirement in 1958. Since his retirement he pursued very active research on the flora of the Hawaii Islands, Micronesia, and taxonomic studies on Pandanus, right up to his death. If Harold St. John's 99-year long life is amazing, his 80- year long career devoted to botany is even more impressive. - R.T. Ogilvie (BEN # 25 2-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ OLD GROWTH DEPENDENT SPECIES From: Doug Hopwood, Lasquetti Island, B.C. V0R 2J0 One of the duty I am charged with to prepare a summary of all known or suspected old growth dependent species in B.C. ... I would like to ask you for your help with this task, with respect to vascular plants: 1) Are they any plant species that have been studied in sufficient depth that you could confidently call them old-growth dependent? 2) What is the nature of the species' dependence on old growth? 3) What is the approximate range of the species? 4) What would be the elements of the "best guess" conservation strategy for these species? 5) What would you consider the highest priority research needs for the conservation of old growth dependent plants? [I was not able to come with any vascular plant species that would occur only in old growth stands. Can you find any spotted owl among our vascular plants? - AC] (BEN # 25 2-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA "The Tatshenshini River" [see BEN # 11] by Ken Marsden, Tue Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m., Begbie Bldg. UVIC. "After the Ice Age" by E. Chris Pielou, Wed Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m., Newcombe Auditorium. Botany Group Field Trip to Mill Hill Park, Sat Feb. 8, Meet at the Helmecken Park & Ride 9:00 a.m. "Plants along the Dempster Highway, Yukon" by Sharon Godkin, Tue Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. Swan Lake Nature House. "Lake Baikal" by Michael Tripp, Wed Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m., Newcombe Auditorium. (BEN # 25 2-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ WHILE THE SUPPLY LASTS Dr. David Wagner, P.O. Box 30064, Eugene, OR 97403 is printing his own "Willamette Valley Nature Calendar" and the 1992 edition is in fact the 10th anniversary edition. This edition features 6 Oregon mosses and liverworts and numerous notes on what to do in a garden, what to see in the nature or at the skies. The last year's edition is a real collection item: it contains drawings of 12 grapefern species (Botrychium - Pteridophyta) reported from Oregon, About four of these species have been only recently described and the majority of illustrated species occur in B.C. Cost: 1991 edition US$8.00, 1992 edition US$6.50. (BEN # 25 2-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW BOOKS Kruckeberg, A.R. 1991. Natural history of Puget Sound country. University of Washington Press, Seattle & London, xxiv + 468 p. ISBN 0-295-97019-7 [hardbound] CAN $36.95 [This is a very interesting book. It covers a wide scope of "natural history" - geology, plants and animals, interactions with human - anything you want to know about the Puget Sound area. The book was printed in Japan! It is available in the Royal Museum Store.] (BEN # 25 2-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ TELNET AND FTP REACHED THE B.C. GOVERNMENT In BEN #14 Rick Kool called for DATASTROJKA - a restructuring of the B.C. governmental e-mail network. One of his demand was adding several Internet features, especially TELNET and FTP, to the governmental network. We have it now. The B.C. Systems quietly added several valuable features available on the Internet system, and TELNET and FTP are among them. With TELNET you can log on to a remote computer and interactively communicate with that computer. I am using this service to access the MELVYL catalogue that contains over 10,000 000 titles deposited in the libraries of the University of California and the California State Library. To get into that catalogue, you simply type telnet melvyl.ucop.edu at the $ prompt you get when you sign on the government system. When you sign on the Melvyl, you will be asked for the terminal, and ibmpc (no space) works as an answer. The Library of Congress can be reached by telnet dra.com . In the Library of Congress you cannot search the subject index (I was told by our librarian, that the Library of Congress charges for the subject index searches), in Melvyl you can. To use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is slightly more difficult. With FTP you can browse through the directory of a remote computer and download any available file into your computer. I have been using this service to download files from the TAXACOM data base and I am reprinting their instructions in a separate article below. I brought this article in BEN #14, and mentioned the DELTA files in BEN #17. Please note the change in the TAXACOM FTP address. The TAXACOM system was transferred from Buffalo to Boston. I have no idea, how much the B.C. Systems charge for TELNET or FTP. Ask your friendly computer people before you spend all your budget wondering in or around remote computers. There is an interesting article "Applying the Internet" in the recent issue of the BYTE magazine (February 1992:111-118.) The article is quite technical, loaded with information. I have to quote its last sentence: "The next time you hear about the Internet, remember that you, too, could be using it -- in your work, education, or community, or to explore your personal interests." (BEN # 25 2-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ HOW TO USE TAXACOM FTP SERVER ON INTERNET [BEN #14 update] TAXACOM FTP Server allows Internet access to scientifically oriented text files and programs, especially those dealing with aspects of systematic biology. Available for downloading is the journal Flora Online, the DELTA taxonomic programs, the LABELS3 herbarium data management programs, and other material of interest to systematic biologists. Access is by "anonymous FTP." From a computer connected to the Internet, start the FTP program and use either the host name or IP address given above as the destination, e.g. FTP huh.harvard.edu or FTP 128.103.108.123 Enter "anonymous" as the user id and simply for the password. "Dir" or "ls" lists the files in the current FTP SERVER directory. "Cd" to change directories; the TAXACOM files are located under the subdirectory "pub" (once connected at the "FTP>" prompt, type "cd pub"). To return to the previous parent directory type "cd .." "Get " copies the remote file to your computer, "mget" uses "*" as a wild card symbol to copy multiple files in one operation. For help with other FTP commands, type "help" at any FTP> prompt. When downloading compressed (8-bit) files be sure to specify "binary" or "image" at the FTP> prompt before issuing a "get" or "mget" command, otherwise the files you retrieve will be unusable. The programs you receive are generally for MS-DOS microcomputers, so you should copy these to such machines. (BEN # 25 2-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY B.C. 1992 - MAY 28,29,30,31 From: Ted Lea BOTANY B.C. will be held at Lac Le Jeune May 28-31, 1992. May 28 Evening arrival, registration and dinner May 29 Morning Grassland Ecology talks Afternoon -Lac du Bois field trip grasslands May 30 Morning Weed and Grass species talks Afternoon Parasitic and Saprophytic field trip May 31 Field trip out on rare/endangered ecosystems [This is a preliminary note about the 1992 BOTANY B.C. meeting I got from Ted Lea. The registration form and other more detailed information will be send to you by Del Meidinger via snail mail. Del's e-mail address for people outside the GEMS (Government e-mail system) is DEL.V.MEIDINGER@for.galaxy.bcsystems.gov.bc.ca . Write him, if you want to be included in the mailing list of the Botany BC Working Group Newsletter. - AC] (BEN # 26 6-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ HELP WANTED - ASIAN AND AFRICAN CULINARY HERBS From: Brian D. Compton, Dept. of Botany, UBC Is there anyone out there within reach of BEN who is familiar with the Viet, Thai and/or botanical Latin names of the types of Asian herbs found in some Vancouver markets and restaurants? Also, is anyone out there at all familiar with African, particularly Ethiopian, culinary herbs (including their Amharic and/or botanical Latin names)? I would appreciate any comments which may be directed to USERCOMP@MTSG.UBC.CA. (BEN # 26 6-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ CLIMATIC DIAGRAMS IN THE ISLAND GROWER Hans Roemer published a series of climatic diagrams in the February issue of The Island Grower (No 82, p. 16-22). Get that issue ! (The Island Grower, R.R. 4, Sooke, B.C., V0S 1N0, phone: 604-642-4129.) Hans explains how to construct and read climatic diagrams. (This technique was devised by Walter @ Lieth and is used in every better book on vegetation.) A long series of diagrams will show you the similarity of the Victoria climate with the climates of Portugal, Italy, and Greece and sharp contrast of our climate with those of the Himalayas, eastern Canada and central Europe. Congratulations, Hans. Thanks for spreading the gospel! (BEN # 26 6-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ MUSHROOM POISONING Some species of Cortinarius contain a slowly acting poison orellanin that destroys the kidneys. It may take a week or two to act. The New Scientist cites a case of three campers in Scotland who mistook Cortinarius speciosissimus for chanterelle. Two victims had to get a kidney transplant. [From "Stalking the safe mushrooms" by Barry Fox, The New Scientist, 12 January 1992, No.1804, p. 38-44.] (BEN # 26 6-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA LIBRARY ON TELNET From: Gary Shearman (shearman@cue.bc.ca) I just discovered something interesting. If you telnet to telnet victor.uvic.ca and login with victor and password victor, you can use the UVic library catalog. It works ok, except I have yet to discover how to leave properly, they want a "clear" key, and, even though I haven't discovered what that is yet... [The magical "clear" key to get out of the system is Ctrl-C !] P.S. Victor is an electronic catalogue of the University of Victoria library. It was started several years ago and it contains all new accessions. For the last half a year or so, every book borrowed from the library was put into the systems. The older books sitting on the UVIC shelves are not on Victor yet! When you find the title in Victor, you can see, if the book is in or out, if you don't find it, you have to go to the old good card index catalogue in order to be sure. - AC (BEN # 26 6-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ HOW PEOPLE MOUNT HERBARIUM SPECIMENS From: Adolf Ceska Our herbarium (V - Royal BC Museum, Victoria, B.C.) is using Wilhold's "Glu-Bird White Glue" for strapping plant specimens onto the mounting paper. Lately our glue has become 'lyophobic'and when the stream touches the plant, the strap parts and separates into two blobs on each side of the stem, or whatever you are strapping. In order to secure the plant, more glue has to be added. The straps resemble blobs of candle wax and do not look nice. Two weeks ago I asked subscribers of TAXACOMT list and all on PTO (Plant Taxonomists Online) what glue they use for mounting the specimens. Here is the summary of the answers: 1) Strapping with tape: cloth tape (Smithsonian Institution; Harvard Herbaria; Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver - bulky specimens only), archival 3M polyester tape (Australian National Univ., Canberra), linen tape (University of Washington, Seattle; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), unspecified tape (Faculdad de Ciencias, Coyoacan, Mexico) 2) Glueing the plant surface or parts of the surface (dots, zigzag line on the underneath): Wilhold's Glu-Bird Glue (University of Kansas), Plastipad (Botany Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand), Lepages White Glue (Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada) Nicobond B (University of Washington, Seattle) 3) Strapping with glue: Selleys Aquadhere (CSIRO, Australia) 4) No mounting: (University of South New Wales, Kensington, Australia) 5) Glue used, but I am not sure, if only for strapping or for surface glueing: North Carolina Biological Supplies brand (Univ. of Alabama), Elmer's glue (San Francisco State University; Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver), bookbinders' glue (Uppsala), Evo-stick wood adhesive (Reading, UK) Users of the tape were adamant that their technique is the best: QUOTES I know nothing of Wilhold's "Glue-Bird White Glue", but in any case, it is time for you to throw away your glue, no matter what kind it is. Your communications are up to date, but your curation methods are not! [It would be a lengthy chapter to explain that the curators are not responsible for some our curation methods. - AC] The quickest, most effective way to attach specimens to sheets is to use tape. Specimens so attached can be easily removed and replaced too, if a researcher needs to examine the underside. Moreover, 3M produce an archival quality tape with a dispenser which is convenient to use. The details are as follows: Archival tape: 3M polyester tape #8440, in rolls 6mm/3mm/2mm x 66m, AUS$5.78 per roll (minimum order 32 rolls), 2 years ago. 3M 'Definite length dispenser' #M920. AUS$138. Hope this information is useful Mike Crisp [from CANB: Mike.Crisp@anu.edu.au] SUPPORTING VOICE: I am not responsible for the policy at CANB ... but I think their approach is one of the best in terms of preserving the specimen and allowing active research on the specimens: i.e., the use of permanent but removable 3M tape. No glue on the specimen. NSW uses nothing, which is great for the researcher but only ok for the specimen. .... I would strongly commend the use of the 3M tape (nothing is a second best, and glue a poor last option). Jeremy Bruhl [from CANB: BRUHL@RSBS1.anu.edu.au] END OF QUOTES I hope readers of BEN will find this information useful, I do tend to look at the 3M archival tape CANB is using. If you have any comments to this topic, please let me (and BEN) know. - Adolf (BEN # 27 23-February-1992) ------------------------------------------ AUXILIARY POSITION IN THE ROYAL B.C. MUSEUM The Royal B.C. Museum will hire an auxiliary from May 1, 1992 to March 31, 1993. This auxiliary will be working in the Herbarium with John Pinder-Moss. Regular duties will include: accessioning plants, mounting, producing labels, filing, inventory and maintenance, pulling specimens for loans, etc. Pay will be at HRO 2, step 1 (currently $1,099.58 bi-weekly). If you know of an individual who is qualified and interested in this position please have them forward a resume to me ASAP. Closing date: April 10, 1992. Jim Cosgrove, Chief, Biological Collections Royal B.C. Museum, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8V 1X4 Phone: 387-3544 FAX: 356-8197 (BEN # 28 22-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ ABIES LASIOCARPA AS A CHRISTMAS TREE? From: Art Guppy A Christmas tree sold in December 1991 by a Victoria dealer as a "B.C. Christmas tree" was an Abies lasiocarpa showing 19 growth rings where cut. Identification was based on the upswept needles, the arrangement of the stomata, and the size and position of the resin ducts, as described in Hitchcock et al 1969. Does anyone with a knowledge of forestry practice in B.C. know if these alpine trees, requiring about 20 years to reach salable size, are farmed in B.C., or if such trees can be legally harvested in the wild? Is it possible that these beautiful, slow-growing trees are being cut illegally? (BEN # 28 22-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ MONTIA AND/OR CLAYTONIA TIME AGAIN (CF. BEN ## 2,10 & 11) From: Adolf Ceska The best time to go and look for different Claytonia and Montia species is just now! Plants with lanceolate leaves or those conspicuously succulent, gray, reddish, etc. should be collected. Take a rain gear and crawl through rock depressions and seepages to find Montia howellii! (BEN # 28 22-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ RE: OLD GROWTH DEPENDENT SPECIES (BEN #25) From: Art Guppy I suggest the saprophytic members of the Ericaceae may collectively be a botanical spotted owl. While some species probably can colonize second-growth forests, it seems likely at least some would disappear from forests periodically clearcut. [Hans Roemer suggested the same and he mentioned Hemitomes congestum as the best example. Hemitomes and other saprophytic Ericaceae, however, do occur in second-growth forests. - AC] (BEN # 28 22-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ ANOTHER OLD GROWTH DEPENDENT MESSAGE From: BETH WALTON:R06F06A via John DeLapp Cheryl McCaffrey (Oregon State BLM botanist) says: "The species that I have heard reference to and which are now on the Eugene [Oregon BLM] list that appear to have this dependency are: Lobaria retrigeria, Lichen; ONHDB List 3, Low elevation old growth canopy, Western Oregon Interior Valley. Nephroma occultum, Lichen; ONHDB List1, Old Growth Canopy, West Side Oregon Cascades. Oxyporus nobelissimus, Giant polypore fungus; Old Growth Forest, West Side Oregon Cascades. Of course little is known about these species, and as we do more inventory, we may find they have a wider ecological amplitude than we currently think." -- Nancy Wogen, BLM Eugene District Office. (BEN # 28 22-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ WILDFLOWER WEEK IN THE ROYAL B.C. MUSEUM, VICTORIA Yes, there will be a Wildflower Week in the Royal B.C. Museum. Curators will lead field trips to interesting areas around Victoria and there will be special activities for children (May 24). Dr. Gerald Straley will give a lecture on protection of rare plants (Newcombe Auditorium, May 20). The Week will be a part of the Newcombe Program, watch for the details in their calendar. (BEN # 28 22-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW BOOK Hartzel, H., Jr. 1991. The yew tree: a thousand whispers. Biography of a species. Hulogosi, Eugene, Oregon. xvi + 319 p. ISBN 0-938493-14-0 [paperback] Price $23.95 [Everything you wanted to know about yew. Excellent chapter on taxol and taxol politics. The book is available in the Royal B.C. Museum gift shop.] (BEN # 28 22-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ IS THIS THE LAST BEN ? I was preparing a special, light hearted April 1, issue of BEN when I received two sad news: The first was that Dr. Arthur Cronquist died. I am bringing you the obituary as it appeared in the New York Times downloaded from the TAXACOMT list. The second was that the Museum is changing their e-mail system. I have no idea, how the new system works, but it should be much simpler and I guess that it will serve mainly to the communication within the museum. The new system will not support distribution lists such as that I have been using for BEN. I have been sending BEN to about fifty B.C. government employees. About forty other subscribers are scattered throughout the Pacific Northwest and North America and they are served from my cue.bc.ca account. The latter group can be served without any interruption, but the primary role of BEN was to connect my botanically inclined colleagues in the B.C. government. As I stressed several times, the BEN was my crazy idea and my employer, the Royal B.C. Museum, had nothing to do with it. My supervisors only tolerated my use or misuse of the governmental e-mail system. With changes in our e-mail system I don't have too much hope that I would be able to continue to distribute BEN on the governmental network. I gathered together all I had for the next two issues of BEN and here it is. I hope I will be able to get in touch with you again. So long. - Adolf Ceska (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ ARTHUR CRONQUIST 1919 - 1992 From: The New York Times Dr. Arthur Cronquist, a senior scientist at the New York Botanical Garden and creator of an important system of plant classification, died on Sunday March 26, 1992, while doing research at the Brigham Young University Herbarium in Provo, Utah. He was 73 years old. He died of a heart attack, said Karl F. Lauby, the director of public relations at the botanical garden, in the Fordham section of the Bronx. Dr. Cronquist was widely recognized for his extensive knowledge of the plants of the world and his ability to synthesize data from the entire plant kingdom in his classification system. In 1968, Dr. Cronquist published "The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants" (Scientific Publications, the New York Botanical Garden), one of his books outlining what became known as the Cronquist system. In his system, Dr. Cronquist organized some 350 families of plants by their evolutionary relationships, describing which families are very closely related and which are more distantly related. The system has been the most widely used and accepted reference for botanists studying the evolution of plants for nearly 25 years. In deciphering the relationships of the families of plants, Dr. Cronquist depended more on his intimate knowledge of many species of plants from field, museum and library studies than on the high-powered computer technology or statistics more popular among his younger colleagues. He also wrote the "Manual of Vascular Plants of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada" (Scientific Publications), known as the Green Bible. The manual is a key that allows a person to identify flowering plants or ferns from the region and is the basis for many popular field guides. His two introductory botany textbooks, as well as the manual, are widely used by botany students. Dr. Cronquist was also a recognized expert on the plants of the Western United States. He wrote or contributed to nearly all the major works on plants of the region and was at work on a six- volume series about the plants of the intermountain west when he died. He was also an expert on the sunflower family, one of the largest families of flowering plants in the world. Dr. Cronquist was born in San Jose Calif. He earned bachelor's and master's degree's from Utah State University and received his doctorate from the University of Minnesota. After completing his graduate studies, Dr. Cronquist was an assistant curator at the New York Botanical Garden for two years. He taught at the University of Georgia and the State College of Washington (now Washington State University). He later returned to the New York Botanical Garden, becoming director of botany and finally senior scientist. He was also an adjunct professor at Columbia University and the City University of New York for more than a decade. He received the Leidy Medal of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, the Asa Gray Award from the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the Linnean Medal for Botany from the Linnean Society of London. Dr. Cronquist also served as president of the Botanical Society of America and the American Society of Plant Taxonomists. He is survived by his wife, Mabel; two children, John of Placentia, Calif., and Elizabeth Crowe of Morrison, Colo., and four grandchildren. (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ MONTIA HOWELLII REDISCOVERED AT SUAVIE'S ISLAND, OREGON From: Tom Kaye Montia howellii has not been reported from Sauvie's Island, Oregon, the type locality, since its original collection by T.J. Howell in 1882, and a few other Howell collection in the 1880's. On 26 March 1992 I visited an area of the Island owned by the oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and located a large population of the species growing in disturbed areas in pastures. Most plants grew in and along dirt roads, game trails, and shallow depressions. Associated species included Poa annua, M. fontana, Plagiobothrys scouleri, Myosurus minimus, Cerastium viscosum, and Trifolium sp. Montia howellii was absent from vernal pool habitat in the area, possibly because of competition from perennial vegetation. For those who are interested in finding the species in BC, I would suggest looking along dirt roads through pastures. Good luck! [Montia howellii occurs on Vancouver Island in heavily trampled areas. Trampling eliminates introduced perennial grasses, such as Lolium perenne, Holcus lanatus, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Dactylis glomerata which otherwise outcompete winter annuals. Botanists tend to underestimate the role of disturbance in the protection of some elements of our native flora. When I proposed Macoun's meadowfoam (Limnanthes macounii) for the COSEWIC protection, my proposal was questioned and scaled down, because "the plant readily survives in urban areas around Victoria." - AC] (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ ALPINE FIR (ABIES LASIOCARPA) AS A CHRISTMAS TREE (BEN #28) From: Richard D. Hallman, P.Ag. Christmas Tree Industry Specialist Abies lasiocarpa is harvested as a Christmas tree legally in several areas of the province. Several thousand are harvested each year. The Ministry of Forests issues permits to cutting for Christmas trees in areas where spruce is the preferred timber species. In some trees cut near Merrit were retailing for $20 to $30 in the Langley area during 1991. It is also cultivated on Christmas tree plantations, although due to its slow growth and inconsistency in the plantation it is not common. It have been planted for trial in the Okanagan and Kootenay areas. One grower in the Grand Forks area is doing some progeny testing of seed sources in that area. Abies lasiocarpa is very close in appearance to Abies balsamea, the primary species grown for Christmas trees in the Maritimes. It has good potential as a Christmas tree of the future in B.C., but work must be done to identify the best seed source for plantation Christmas tree production. (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ RE: TAPE OR GLUE (BEN # 27) From: Joan Kerik I agree entirely with the tape method! If done correctly it is definitely the best for the researcher and the plant. It is only a problem when the tape is not attached at all stress points and tightly secured against both plant and sheet. The sheet also should be heavy enough to help keep the plant flat. I know that some herbaria cut corners by going for the lighter weight paper but they pay in the end. (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ LARGEST MASS MUSHROOM POISONING IN NORTH AMERICA From: Mushroom The Journal, Fall 1991, p. 34 [abbrev.] On June 8, 1991, one of the best hotels in Vancouver, British Columbia, hosted a retirement banquet for the city chief of police. Much of the police force, some local dignitaries and many spouses attended - in all, 483 were there. The first course was an exotic pasta salad: three colour forms of egg fettucine were mixed cold with raw mushrooms (Agaricus brunnescens, Lentinus edodes, Morchella angusticeps and Morchella esculenta) marinated in soy sauce, oyster sauce, sambal sauce, sesame oil. Raw morels performed well. Of 483 people present, at least 77 (i.e, 16 percent) experienced symptoms typical for the raw morel poisoning. Paul Kroger, author of the article, surveyed 24 victims: 20 of them reported nausea, 16 diarrhea, 12 vomiting, 7 cramps, 4 rapid and severe sensation of bloating, 2 a hive-like rash. Other symptoms reported were warms, intense thirst, clamminess and numbness of the tongue. Only one person required hospitalization; his wife wouldn't eat mushrooms so he ate two portions. It is interesting to note that one of the first victims affected was the city health officer. [I would like to thank Paul Kroeger for kindly sending me his article " 'Yumm,' said the police chief" published in Mushroom the Journal (ISSN 0740-8161). Mushroom address: Mushroom, Box 3156, University Station, Moscow, Idaho 83843. One year subscription (4 issues) is US$ 16.00 and they accept Canadian checks marked "U.S. dollars." - AC] (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ PRODUCTS LIABILITY FOR A BOOK ? From: Mary Whisner via USENET The latest issue of the Harvard Law Review has a "recent case" that might be of interest to librarians. Plaintiff bought The Encyclopedia of Mushrooms and used it to identify edible mushrooms. He ate them and became critically ill, needing a liver transplant. He sued under Calif. products liability law. According to the student author, the 9th Circuit held that the information in the book was not a "product" and thus the law didn't apply. (The student argued that a better approach would have been to hold the publisher not liable for first amendment policy reasons.) Recent Case, Products Liability Law -- Freedom of Speech -- Ninth Circuit Holds That California's Products Liability Law Does Not Cover False Statements in a Book -- Winter v. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 938 F.2d 1033 (9th Cir. 1991), 105 Harv. L. Rev. 1147 (1992). [I remember reading about a recall of a mushroom book that labelled poisonous Amanita as a choice edible mushroom. I can attest that the authors who blunder in their publications, don't usually do it just because they want to exercise their "freedom of speech!" - AC] (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW LEDUM COMBINATION - WHO READS BEN ? From: A. Ceska In BEN # 9 I suggested that a new combination was for grab, if you wanted to treat Ledum decumbens as a subspecies of Rhododendron tomentosum (i.e., Ledum palustre as a "rhodie"). Gary D. Wallace published a new combination for this subspecies: Rhododenron tomentosum subsp. subarcticum (Harmaja) G. Wallace. I have suspicions that this name is against the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and that the readers of BEN may have still another chance. Ref.: Wallace, G.D. 1992. Ledum in the New Jepson Manual and a new combination for Ledum in Rhododendron (Ericaceae). Madrono 39: 77. (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ "SPINACH AND CIVILIZATION" IN THE NEWCOMBE AUDITORIUM The Newcombe Program will present a lecture [?] on "Spinach and Civilization" by Adolf Ceska, the BEN publisher. This will be his fourth attempt to get to the roots of spinach. Stories on potatoes, pineapple and other oddities will be added in this version of the history of food plants. Newcombe Auditorium, Wednesday April 8, 1992, 7:30 p.m. (BEN # 29 30-March-1992) ------------------------------------------ BEN IS SAFE, BUT CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED I tested our new e-mail system A1-LITE and it looks like a demo version of All-In-One. We can communicate within the B.C. government and I won't have any problems to send BEN around to all of you, who are on my mailing list. In order to keep BEN alive, I need your contributions. DO NOT SEND CASH ! Send me any botanical news, questions, reviews, etc., etc. Many thanks. If you are on the B.C. government e-mail system, ACESKA will work, if you are outside, use the address in the BEN header. Keep your contributions short (max. 30-50 lines). Many thanks. (BEN # 30 21-April-1992) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY BC 1992 REGISTRATION It is time to register, if you want to come to BOTANY BC meeting in Lac Le Jeune (May 28-30). If you have not received your registration form, phone to Evelyn Hamilton (604) 387-3650. (BEN # 30 21-April-1992) ------------------------------------------ POSITIONS OPEN 1) NATURAL RESOURCE SCIENTIST 1 - BOTANY Department of Natural Resources in Gull Harbor (near Olympia, WA). Conducts surveys on endangered, threatened and sensitive plant species, documenting population size and location, site conditions, threats, and management concerns. ... Project funded through May 31, 1994. Salary US $2180-2782, application deadline April 29. Washington Department of Personnel 600 South Franklin Street P.O. Box 47561 Olympia, WA 98504-7561 Phone: 206/753-5368 Announcement No.: 6-2-025-OC-S JIM 2) ECOLOGIST, BIOLOGIST, OR OTHER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT EXPERT Great Smoky Mountains National Park Gatlinburg, Tennessee This is a supervisory interdisciplinary position. The successful candidate will serve as the Head of the Science Branch for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) and administer research activities at Uplands Field Laboratory at GRSM in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Salary US$46,210-$60,070 per annum, application deadline April 30. Applications should be submitted to: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Building 600, Suite 341 Huntsville, AL 35801-5311 To contact OPM for further information or forms Call 205-544-5803 Control Number: AHOO84 Position Number: GM-0408-13 (BEN # 30 21-April-1992) ------------------------------------------ PLEURICOSPORA FIMBRIOLATA IN BRITISH COLUMBIA From: George Douglas (c/o ANDREW.HARCOMBE@ENV.GALAXY.BCSYSTEMS.GOV.BC.CA) Gary Wallace (Ericaceae expert), Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA has recently informed me that a B.C. collection of Pleuricospora fimbriolata has been found at the Gray Herbarium. The collection was made in 'deep fir woods' at Horne Lake, Vancouver Island by W.R. Carter on July 21, 1916. Local botanists should keep an eye out for this species--not previously known from B.C. This epiparasite [?] has frimbriate leaves and a frimbriate corolla (the latter hairless inside). (BEN # 30 21-April-1992) ------------------------------------------ ORCHID GENUS PIPERIA ("HABENARIA") IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST From: Adolf Ceska Some authors treat the orchid genus Habenaria in a broad sense (cf. Hitchcock et al.), whereas others tend to split it into about 14 different genera. A compromise concept recognizes the following three genera within the Pacific Northwest Habenaria s.l.: Platanthera, Coeloglossum, and Piperia. Morgan & Ackerman (1990) described two new species of Piperia from western North America: P. yadonii from California (Monterey Co.) and P. candida from California to Alaska. Both new species are from the Piperia unalascensis - complex, characterized by a short curved spur. P. candida's "herbarium diagnostic features are the short thick spur (narrower and longer in proportion to flower in P. unalascensis), decurved triangular lip, decurved triangular lip, color (lip and petals drying golden brown, petals with dark midvein evident; in P. unalascensis, lip and petals dry uniformly dark brown, contrasting more markedly with the paler sepals), forward position and spiral twist of lateral sepals, and relatively short, usually secund raceme." Two specimens are cited from British Columbia (Campania and Banks Islands, McCabe - UC), colour photo in Moriya (1976) was a record from Alaska. Ackerman (1977) and Morgan & Ackerman (1990) recognized the following species: P. unalascensis, (*P. yadonii*), *P. candida*, (*P. cooperi*), *P. transversa*, *P. elongata*, P. elegans (asterisks indicate new species or new names, taxa in brackets are not known from British Columbia). According to this concept, P. elegans would contain plants known as P. maritima (or P. greenei), coastal plants with dense racemes, whereas Hitchcock's "Habenaria elegans" should become P. elongata. Ref.: Ackerman, J.D. 1977. Biosystematics of the genus Piperia Rydb. (Orchidaceae). J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 75:245-270. Morgan, R. & J.D. Ackerman. 1990. Two new Piperias (Orchidaceae) from western North America. Lindleyana 5(4): 205-211. Moriya, K. 1976. Alaska-no hana-to kafun. (Flora and palynomorphs of Alaska) Kodansha Publishing Co. Tokyo. (BEN # 30 21-April-1992) ------------------------------------------ THE LOG - FRIENDS OF ECOLOGICAL RESERVES NEWSLETTER The first issue of The Log appeared in March 1992. Thirty-six pages loaded with information on ecological reserves and conservation issues in British Columbia. Articles: Marbled Murrelet distribution and activity in the Walbrun Valley (page 12-17), Sighting and counting Sea Otters (20,21), The road through Mt. Tuam Ecological Reserve (22,23), The impacts of logging the Lower Tahsish-Kwois (24,25), etc. The Log is published by the Friends of Ecological Reserves in Victoria, B.C. and "distributed to members, affiliates and volunteer wardens of ecological reserves." Membership (individual $15, family $20) applications should be sent to Friends of Ecological Reserves, Box 8477, Victoria, B.C., Canada V8W 3S1 (BEN # 30 21-April-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW BOOKS Kuhlein, Harriet V. & N.J. Turner. 1991. Traditional plant foods of Canadian indigenous peoples. Nutrition, botany and use. Food and nutrition in human history and anthropology, vol. 8. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, Philadelphia etc. xi + 633 p. ISBN 2-88124-465-3 [hardcover] CND 108.00 [Description of Canadian food plants, their uses and their nutrient values - Chapter 6 Nutrient values of traditional food plants. pp. 341-473. Nice, but shockingly expensive!] Straley, G.B. 1992. Trees of Vancouver. UBC Press, Vancouver. xiii + 232 p. ISBN 0-7748-0406-8 [paperback] CND 19.95 [A guide to common and unusual trees of the city. 86 colour photographs on 15 plates, Gerald's own drawings throughout. Available in the Museum gift shop.] (BEN # 30 21-April-1992) ------------------------------------------ DR. SINSKE HATTORI (1915 - 1992) Dr. Hattori passed away on May 12, 1992. He was a prominent Japanese bryologist, specialist on the liverwort genus Frullania, and a significant supporter and promoter of bryology. Shortly after the war he established the Hattori Botanical Laboratory and in 1947 he started to publish The Journal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory, "devoted to bryology and lichenology." (Elva Lawton's 1971 "Moss Flora of the Pacific Northwest" was published as a Supplement of the "Journal.") He was a good friend of many bryologists all around the world and he will be missed. (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY B.C. - LAST CALL From: Trish Hoffs (THOFFS on All-In-One) or phone (604) 356-6813 Botany B.C. is just over 2 weeks away. Anyone interested, who hasn't already sent in their registration form, should contact me before the end of Thursday, May 14th, 1992 to book any accommodation and meals you require at Lac Le Jeune Resort. Lac Le Jeune requires this information so they can start ordering the food, etc. After Thursday the resort will charge a cancellation fee for any over bookings. (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ THE CARIBOO MOUNTAINS SLIDE SHOW From: Ocean Hellman - phone (604) 685-8269 Thursday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Newcombe Theater in Victoria, B.C. The Cariboo Mountains Wilderness Coalition has been fighting for the heartland between Bowron Lake Park and Wells Gray Park of British Columbia. This remarkable area supports high populations of grizzly bear, sockeye salmon, woodland caribou and migratory waterfowl. This is a critical land-use issue. The NDP government recently deferred industrial development on 175,000 [out of 210,000 proposed] hectares of Cariboo Mountains Wilderness. [Note: There was no logging planned in the deferred area for the next few years, but the controversial non-deferred area of the Blue Lead Creek is being logged now slightly faster than before. - AC] (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ STUDENT FROM GERMANY INTERESTED IN OLD GROWTH BRYOPHYTES From: Jan-Peter Frahm Recently it turned out that a student of mine will make her thesis for her teachers exam on Vancouver Island. It may sound somewhat strange, but she is very enthusiastic for Canada and its nature, is studying geography also and will be on a field trip next September in Western Canada. Then she asked me for a subject for her thesis and I proposed to make a comparative study of the bryofloras of natural forest with planted forest of different kind and age. It should be interesting to know which species continue to grow after cutting and new plantation, which come later and which will never come back. This shall be also discussed concerning life strategy, propagation methods of the species involved, etc. I guess it should be possible to confine such comparison to hectare plots or smaller, and thought about Cape Scott Provincial Park and the reforestations in the northern part of the island. I will contact the provincial park office for the necessary permits, and have also informed Dale Vitt in Edmonton (where I have spent a sabbatical). Are they any permanent plots in the UBC research forest? (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW REFERENCE BOOK FOR BOTANISTS From: "William R Burk" Although we have not yet received our copy yet, you might be interested in knowing about a new botany reference book: B-P-H/S; Botanico-Huntianum Supplementum. Edited by Gavin Bridson. Pittsburgh, PA: Hunt Institute, 1992. $95.00(U.S.). This is a supplement to the standard B-P-H which is an important tool in providing abbreviations (and full titles) for botanical journals. (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ COMMON NAMES OF PLANTS From: Jim Pojar Adolf, there is a useful reference for connoisseurs of common names: Kartesz, J.T., and J.W. Thieret. 1991. Common names for vascular plants: Guidelines for use and application. Sida Contrib. Bot. 14: 421-434. Good advice, especially about "fanciful" names, which I fancy. It also refers to a forthcoming Timber Press book of common names by Kartesz. This will no doubt be invaluable, but we must strive to protect the folk poetry of some regional common names against the Amerikan [sic!] monolith and melting pot. [P.S. For those of you who don't know, Jim Pojar is an American-Canadian from Minnesota, living in Smithers, B.C. and having his roots in South Bohemia. - AC] (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ ETHNOBOTANICAL DEMONSTRATION GARDEN From: Brian D. Compton Does anyone have easy access to seeds or vegetative starts of hemlock-parsley (Conioselinum pacificum) or other unusual, little-known or otherwise interesting ethnic plants of coastal or interior British Columbia? Or does anyone have knowledge of the edibility of hemlock-parsley? If so, please contact me. The gardener at the City Farmer compost demonstration garden in Vancouver wishes to bring some of these plants into cultivation in a small ethnobotanical demonstration garden for education uses. (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ OLDEST TREE IN CANADA From: Tom Keays in BIOSPH-L /* Written 11:21 am May 9, 1992 by mlewis in cdp:en.forestplan */ /* ---------- "Oldest Canadian Tree" ---------- */ This paragraph was published in the latest issue of the Earth Island Journal (vol.7(2):3): Vancouver - Last winter two dendrochronologists exploring a logging clearcut in Caren Range [Sechelt Peninsula, SE of Sakinaw Lake] discovered to their horror that Canada's oldest known living tree had been cut down and left on the ground as wastewood. The 1636-year-old Yellow Cedar - the oldest verified tree in Canada - had been felled by the Macmillan Bloedel Corp. The scientists discovered four other ancient trees (the youngest of which was 1350 years old) that had also been cut down and left to rot. (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ RE: ABIES LASIOCARPA AS A CHRISTMAS TREE (BEN #28) From: DNORRIS (B.C. Ministry of Forests) Christmas tree harvesting is done under permit, with stumpage payable to the crown. Some Abies lasiocarpa may be raised but a check of the several Christmas tree Grower Associations in BC may be in order. Within Rights-of-way,(or such like land tenures) permits may be granted for commercial or private harvesting of trees, which could include A. lasiocarpa. Russ Cozens at 387-8308 can provide further details. (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ DAVID DOUGLAS SOCIETY OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA From: Bill Young The 1992 Annual Meeting and Banquet of the David Douglas Society of Western North America will be held on December 7, 1992 in Portland, Oregon. Guests welcome. For information phone Bill Young (604) 652-3002. (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW BOOK MacKinnon, A., J. Pojar & R. Coupe [eds.] 1992. Plants of northern British Columbia. - B.C. Ministry of Forests, Victoria & Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton. 352 p. ISBN 1-55105-015-3 [paperback] CDN$ 19.95 [Ten writers co-operated on this excellent guide to lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants of northern British Columbia. The publisher, Lone Pine Publishing Ltd. (206, 10426 - 81 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6E 1X5) did a marvelous production job. I especially like the format used in the book. Pictures and descriptions are intermixed with keys and comparison tables. There are no strict rules, silhouettes of Geranium leaves are given under the Buttercup family, because they can be confused with buttercups. Everything is user-friendly and a lot of fun. - AC] (BEN # 31 13-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA, B.C. June 3, 1992 - Swan Lake Nature Centre, 7:30 p.m. Richard Hebda: "Model green city - Victoria" June 16, 1992 - Newcombe Auditorium, 8:00 p.m. Ron McBeath (Edinburgh Botanic Gardens): "Plant hunting in China" - cost $5.00 (BEN # 32 24-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ ALASKA SPHAGNUM WORKSHOP From: Stephen S. Talbot (c/o Sandra Talbot A three day workshop on Sphagnum identification will be conducted by Dr. Richard Andrus, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, in Anchorage Alaska on July 22-24, 1992. Cost is $140.00. Make checks payable to the Alaska Native Plant Society, P.O. Box 141613, Anchorage, AK 99514. Enrollment is limited to 12 individuals. Contact: Stephen Talbot, USFWS, at 907-786-3381 or Sandra Looman Talbot, ftslt@alaska.bitnet for additional information. (BEN # 32 24-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ HYPHOLOMA TUBEROSUM IN AUSTRALIA From: The Mycologist 6(#1): 11,12. 1992. An interesting mushroom - Hypholoma tuberosum - was first described from mulch beds and compost files in Vancouver by Scott Redhead and Paul Kroeger (Mycotaxon 29[1988]: 457-465). About at the same time, sclerotia of this fungus was found in the peat and soil mixture in a nursery in Sydney, Australia. Abundant fruiting Hypholoma tuberosum in the sandy margins of the Georges Creek in Sydney were observed in April 1990. There are numerous commercial propagating nurseries in the vicinity of Georges Creek. Some interesting questions arise from the discovery of this agaric. What are its natural habitats? What role the sclerotia play in its biology? What is the connection between Vancouver, Canada and Sydney, Australia? (BEN # 32 24-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ IBERIS UMBELLATA ON NANOOSE HILL, VANCOUVER ISLAND From: A. Ceska On May 16, 1992 the Botany Group of the Victoria Natural History Society made a field trip to Nanoose Hill. Gary Shearman came across a small annual crucifer that turned to be Candytuft, Iberis umbellata. This a garden plant originating from the Mediterranean region. (BEN # 32 24-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ YEWSFUL STUFF From: The Economist May 9th-15th, 1992 The Economist brought a nice review of the recent advances in taxol research. This anticancer drug is obtained from the bark of Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) which is a relatively rare tree. Promising trials have created a great need to increase the supply of taxol. There are three different ways to do this: make it, grow it or find a new wild source. Making taxol is stretching chemists to their limits. Pierre Potier, of the Chemical Institute of Natural Substances in Gif-sur-Yvette, France starts with baccatin III (found in leaves of European yew trees) and produced taxotere, similar to taxol, more soluble in water and possibly even more effective than taxol. Growing taxol in tissue or cell cultures has been achieved by ESCAgenetics, of San Carlos, California, and Phyton Catalytic of Ithaca, New York. Both companies are extremely cagey about the conditions they use, but they believe that they can start turning taxol by the kilogramme sometime next year. Harvesting taxol from a better natural source might be the best solution. Himalayan yew trees (Taxus wallichiana) accumulate taxol in their needles. Needles are harvestable and renewable, Himalayan yew trees are abundant and the people who would collect the needles would not demand North American wages for doing so. (BEN # 32 24-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ LOOKING FOR AN INFORMATION SOFTWARE From: Adolf Ceska I am looking for the replacement of REFERENCE FILE, the MS-DOS program I have been using for handling my bibliographies, address books, gazetteers, notes, collection lists etc. This program has the following features: 1) Variable field length. 2) User definable fields that can be indexed for fast retrieval. 3) The program is memory-resident (TSR), i.e., the data can be accessed from any application, including the communication software. The REFERENCE FILE (once distributed by the Reference Software Ltd. - producers of the popular style checker GRAMMATIK) does not work with 286, 386 or 486 IBM PC systems. (BEN # 32 24-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ WHAT IS BEN ? From: Shorter Oxford English Dictionary BEN, obs. pres.ind., subj. pl. and inf. of Be, v. (BEN # 32 24-May-1992) ------------------------------------------ COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA, B.C. June 16, 1992 - Newcombe Auditorium, 8:00 p.m. Ron McBeath (Edinburgh Botanic Gardens): "Plant hunting in China" - cost $5.00 Tickets in Dig This, Ivy's Bookstore & Village Books. (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY BC 1992 The meeting took place in Lac le Jeune May 28 to May 30 and was very successful. The topic of the meeting was Grassland ecology and the standard of all talks was high. We saw some exceptional slides in contributions by Don Gayton and Anna Roberts and in the evening "Slide Talk Photo Essay" by Diana & Alex Inselberg. Thanks to Bob Scheer and Wayne Erickson we had an opportunity to meet Ecological Reserves Volunteer Wardens. (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY BC 1993 The following topics were chosen for the next year meeting of the BOTANY BC: Insects and plants, and Ethnobotany. Organizational committee was asked to plan the meeting somewhere in the Kootenay's (SE British Columbia). (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ POSITION OPEN Contract Position: WETLAND ECOLOGIST Term: Approximately 9 months Duties: Work with the B.C. Conservation Data Centre, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, and the Ministry of Forests on development of wetland vegetation types (freshwater and estuarine) in B.C. Conduct literature search of all wetland classifications in the province to identify described wetland communities. Assemble plot data from MoF, MoELP, and other sources into format compatible with the biogeoclimatic correlation synthesis programs. Determine areas of the province which have not yet been studied. Code historical and new data, when necessary. Correlate MoELP Habitat Classes with MoF site association/site series classification. Arrange workshops with regional experts to review the classification. Prepare progress report and identify further classification needs at end of term. If interested, please submit a resume with covering letter addressing qualifications and contract fees to the following address, no later than Friday, June 19, 1992: Carmen Cadrin B.C. Conservation Data Centre 780 Blanshard St. Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X5 (phone 604/356-0929) (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ MITELLA CAULESCENS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA From: Terry Taylor c/o Beth Whittaker showed me the M. caulescens population in the Chilliwack Valley. It is beside a small creek along the edge of the lower part of the Elk Mountain trail. I did not know that this species still occurred in B. C. It is definitely M. caulescens, as Beth believed: flowers at top of raceme, buds at bottom. Leaves on stems. Beth Whittaker's plant list has just been published in the latest issue of Discovery. The Mitella caulescens site may be slated for logging. (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ RE: MITELLA CAULESCENS From: Adolf Ceska Check the UBC herbarium, they may have several more collections from the Chilliwack River Valley. About seven years ago there was a student in the UBC who studied Mitella caulescens distribution. On Vancouver Island we have an old record of M. caulescens from Port Alberni. We (Oluna & I) collected it with Bob Ogilvie & Hans Roemer on Limestone Mountain and recently at the lower part of the Nixon Creek (by the access road to the Walbran Valley). (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ TIARELLA TRIFOLIATA VS. T. LACINIATA From: Terry Taylor c/o The new Vascular Plants of B. C. suggests that Tiarella laciniata is a hybrid of T. unifoliata and T. trifoliata. I am sceptical of this conclusion. I have not observed T. laciniata in sites geographically or altitudinally between the other two, but rather it grows towards the seaward direction of T. trifoliata, at least in the Lower Mainland area. All three occur along the Howe Sound Crest Trail, and T. laciniata reaches the 1000 meter level on Eagle Ridge, above Buntzen Lake. It does not seem to be be any farther east. On casual observation T. laciniata does not seem intermediate with its deeply divided leaflets. In fact T. trifoliata looks more like a cross between T. laciniata and T. unifoliata. RE: TIARELLA From: Adolf Ceska Tiarella laciniata cannot be a hybrid of T. trifoliata x unifoliata (see hybrid index calculations by Kern - cf. Madrono 16 [1966]: 152-160). The occurrence of T. laciniata on the B.C. Lower Mainland is interesting and I would be interested in any herbarium specimens you can send me. The Lower Mainland plants were mentioned by D.B.O. Savile (Canadian Field-Naturalist 87 [1973]: 460-462), who also pointed out differences in the pubescence of petioles: "Tiarella laciniata petioles have abundant gland-tipped white hairs, of which the longest are conspicuously flexuous and often somewhat decurved. ... In T. unifoliata and in typical T. trifoliata there is a modest production of short to moderately long (but straight) hairs near lamina; but for most of the petiole length there are only short-stalked to sessile glands, and often these are so sparse that the petiole may appear glabrous to the naked eye." The rank of our western Tiarella taxa is still open to questions. Here I refer to them at the species level only because I want to keep the names short. In Vascular Plants of B.C. they are listed as varieties of T. trifoliata. Kern (see above) recognized a single species (T. trifoliata) with two subspecies (unifoliata and trifoliata) and treated T. laciniata as T. trifoliata subsp. trifoliata var. laciniata. (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ DELTA PROGRAMS From: Taxacom discussion list New versions of the DELTA programs for MS-DOS are now available on the Taxacom FTP server. The files are in the directory /pub/delta/msdos of the anonymous FTP area at huh.harvard.edu (128.103.108.123). The distribution package consists of 3 text files *.1st, 6 self-expanding files *.exe, and 4 image files *.gif. Download.1st contains this information about downloading the files, changes.1st contains the revision history of the programs, and delta.1st describes the procedure for installing the programs on an MS-DOS computer. The files must be transmitted in binary mode, set by the ftp command `binary'. (Failure to do so will result in the error message `HeaderC Error' when the .exe files are run.) To install the programs on an MS-DOS computer, place the ---.exe files in the directory C:\DELTA, and the .gif files in the directory C:\DELTA\LEP. Then follow the installation procedure described in delta.1st, but omitting the two XCOPY commands. The date of this release is 21 April 1992. (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION ELECTRONIC NETWORK BNFNET is the Biological Nitrogen Fixation Electronic Network and currently has about 90 members (April. 1992) from 25 countries, who can be reached via its mailing list BNFNET-L BNFNET-L provides a forum for the exchange of information, experiences and scientific results on BNF. It has 6 discussion groups for e.g. Legume-Rhizobium, Nitrogen Fixing Trees; Genetics/Biochemistry; Free-living nitrogen Fixers; Culture Collections; and Computer Networking. BNFNET-L also serves as an electronic newsletter and provides information on forthcoming conferences, recent publications and research profiles of organizations, etc. To join BNFNET-L, send the listserv command: SUBSCRIBE BNFNET-L to LISTSERV@FINHUTC (Bitnet) or LISTSERV@FINHUTC.HUT.FI (Internet) (BEN # 33 14-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ EDITORIAL The main objective of BEN is a fast distribution of botanical news from the west coast of North America, particularly British Columbia. If you have any news, requests, questions etc. related to any field of botany (and at least vaguely related to our Pacific area) send me your contribution. I started BEN as a joke by sending botanical news to colleagues on the British Columbia governmental e-mail. Later I was offered to use cue.bc.ca system to distribute BEN outside the B.C. governmental network. (During the last two or three weeks our cue.bc.ca has misbehaved and has been down more often than running, and our e-mail has been disrupted. I hope that the problems are fixed, if you tried to reach me with no answer, please, try again!) Recently, BEN has been "syndicated" and is available on PLANTBIO/bionet.plants news group and on EcoNet plants.news conference/newsgroup. You can subscribe to BEN directly by sending a request to aceska@cue.bc.ca, or you can subscribe the above mentioned new groups (see a note below). I apologize for occasional slips in my English. English is my "second" language, but I don' want to go through my ghost writers and editors; BEN would lose its promptness and expediency and also my Bohemian touch. (BEN # 34 28-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA Tuesday, July 7, 1992 - Meeting of the Garry Oak Meadows Society - Swan Lake Nature House, 7:30 p.m. (BEN # 34 28-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ NORTHERN RANGE EXTENSION FOR WESTERN RED CEDAR (THUJA PLICATA) From: A single tree of western red cedar was found at Farragut Bay, in southeast Alaska (57 degrees-10 min N and 133 degrees-8 min W). The tree is on the mainland on the Stikine Area of the Tongass National Forest. It is believed to be the most northerly record for this species. The tree, about 8 meters tall with a dbh of 20.8 cm, is growing on a low productive site and is associated with Tsuga heterophylla, Tsuga mertensiana, and Picea sitchensis. The understory is composed of Vaccinium alaskense, V. ovalifolium, V. vitis-idaea, Menziesia ferruginea, Empetrum nigrum, Sphagnum spp. and other bog related species. The nearest known stand of red cedar is on Kupreanof Island and is about 45 km west and 20 km south of Farragut Bay. The nearest stand of red cedar on the mainland is about 95-100 km southeast of the Farragut Bay tree. The relatively small size of the tree and its location of about half of a km from salt water suggests that others may be present in the area. Twig samples with cones were collected and are filed in the U.S. Forest Service's herbarium at Petersburg, Alaska. (BEN # 34 28-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ RE: WETLAND ECOLOGIST POSITION (BEN #33) From: Pekka Pakarinen Dear Colleague; Thanks for the latest issue of B.E.N. (June 15). The announcement of a wetland ecologist's position is interesting as it indicates that vegetation research is proceeding strongly on BC wetlands/peatlands (I assume peatlands are included in the concept "freshwater wetlands" as in the recent, 1988, book edited/coordinated by C. Rubec). Based on this book (chapter coauthored by A. Banner, R.J. Hebda, E.T. Oswald, J. Pojar and R. Trowbridge) and also on the presentations given in 1987 in Edmonton (Banner, Pojar & Kimmins; Pojar & Roemer), British Columbia probably has the greatest diversity of wetland/peatland site types in Canada. Therefore, it is very good that further work is planned to develop the classification for conservation and other purposes. I have had a chance to look into some Alaskan peatlands a couple of years ago, and although there are no immediate plans, I hope also to do some vegetation or moss ecological research in W Canada as well. I was wondering, if it has been possible to use Coenos in MoF or MoELP (?) databases mentioned in the announcement. Best regards, Pekka P. AC: Thanks for mentioning Coenos. MoF (Ministry of Forests) uses their own program for writing vegetation tables (VTAB - see BEN #13) which includes some elements of the Ceska-Roemer program (Vegetatio 23[1971]: 255-277). The main obstacle of Coenos seems to be its simple input format - most North American vegetation data are coded in the Cornell format, in British Columbia in the BCF [orest Service] format. (BEN # 34 28-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ BALSAMORHIZA DELTOIDEA SEED AVAILABLE From: Bill Merilees Recently I collected a fair supply of Balsamorhiza deltoidea seed from the Campbell River estuary population threatened by the harbour development. I would like to make this available to any interested party who may wish to try growing this in a suitable sandy-gravel site. Last year I had a 50% success with a few seeds planted in navyjack in a flower pot. As we speak three of these have a single leaf about 5cm high and one has two leaves. This tells me they grow slowly! I also hope to get some 'plots' set up in protected areas eg. Little Qualicum Wildlife area, Rathtrevor Beach (?), Island View Beach (?), - habitats similar to that at Campbell River. Suggestions welcome. Interested parties can contact me at 248-3931 (work) or 758-1801 (evenings). Thanx - Bill Merilees (BEN # 34 28-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ RE: BALSAMORHIZA Bill, I don't think that it would be correct to plant balsam root on sites where it did not grow (such as Island View Beach). Any comments or suggestions from the readers ? (BEN # 34 28-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ BEN ON BEN Do you know Ben ? I mean Dr. Benito Tan, a bryologist and a good friend of many British Columbia botanists ? I just got a note from him from the Farlow Herbarium: "Thank you for the inclusion of my name in your BC botanical newsletter ... " Benito Tan's e-mail address is btan@huh.harvard.edu and he will be glad to hear from all his friends. (BEN # 34 28-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ HOW TO SUBSCRIBE PLANTBIO OR ECONET PLANTBIO is accessible, I hope, from USENET. (I ventured into USENET several times, but was always overwhelmed by the large number of conferences I had to skip in order to get something useful.) You can subscribe to PLANTBIO/bionet.plants directly by mailing a request to . EcoNet is a foundation-sponsored net in San Francisco. Many bulletin boards, and access to most USENET boards. For subscription info (it's cheap!) sent an Internet message to support@igc.org and ask for info on EcoNet. Please note, that this is not the free-of-charge Econet that disappeared from the e-lists in March (merged with BIOSPH-L). (BEN # 34 28-June-1992) ------------------------------------------ PHANTOM ORCHID (EBUROPHYTON AUSTINIAE) IN VICTORIA From: A. Ceska This year was a bumper crop year for phantom orchid in the Victoria area. We counted 34 to 39 plants on one site, and two and six plants on two other sites. In spite of this abundant occurrence all flowers fell off without setting fruit. We are at the northern limit of the phantom orchid's distribution and I wonder, if we lack its pollinator(s). I have not done my homework (literature search etc.) and I would greatly appreciate any suggestion, literature citations, observations you can give me. (BEN # 35 5-July-1992) ------------------------------------------ AROUND VANCOUVER - HEMITOMES & CAREN RANGE From: Terry Taylor c/o Last Sunday I saw two populations of Hemitomes congestum [gnome-plant] beside two separate trails on the lower slopes of Grouse Mountain. Eric Damer at Golden Ears Park reports 3 populations flowering there - the well- known one at the Spirea Nature Trail, beside one of the campgrounds, and beside the trail to the Viking Creek Lookout. During the last few years it is being reported in this area much more often. The Heritage Tree Society asked me to go to the Caren Range [see BEN # 31] and make a plant list, which I did on July 1. Although there did not appear to be any rare species, I was very impressed with the incredibly open forest floor of this Tsuga heterophylla-Abies amabilis old growth forest. It is densely covered by Rhytidiopsis, and very large, flat patches of Sphagnum girgensohnii, with extensive Listera cordata growing in the Sphagnum. I do not recall ever seeing a forest area with this overall appearance, and hope it will be possible to prevent the logging of this site. (BEN # 35 5-July-1992) ------------------------------------------ PROCEEDINGS NEED HELP From: A. Ceska The Proceedings of the Conference on Endangered Species & Habitats in British Columbia (Vancouver 1991) is about to be published. Due to the lack of money only about 200 copies will be printed and they are all reserved for the two contributing B.C. Ministries (Forests & Environment), or the authors. It is sad to see a publication being out of print even before it is printed. The cost of a volume will be about $15.00 to 20.00. The botanical contributions: Rare aquatic vascular plants of B.C. (A. Ceska), Conservation status of marine plants and invertebrates in B.C (M.W. Hawkes), Endangered and threatened plants species of the Southern Interior of B.C. (E.C. Lea & G.W. Douglas), Rare and endangered alpine plants in B.C. (R.T. Ogilvie), Epiphytic lichens (T. Goward). A wide variety of zoological topics, problems of strategies and legislation for the protection are also discussed. I would like to find, how many people would like to buy a copy of the Proceedings. I would also be grateful, if you could give me some advice on where to look for the "seed money," in order to get more copies printed. (BEN # 35 5-July-1992) ------------------------------------------ RE: HYBRIDS - TIARELLA (BEN # 33) From: Don Norris (DNORRIS on BC gov network) Bill Parker of Lakehead University used to do chemical taxonomy and his results on spruce hybrids and balsam hybrids indicated that there were macroscopic integrades between members of the same genus, indicating hybridization; but when chemically analyzed, all specimens were clearly belonging to one group or the other. I believe he obtained similar results in black vs white spruce "so called hybrids". Perhaps Jack Maze at UBC could shed some more light on this technique. AC: Hybrids usually have the sum of all compounds found in the respective parents. E.g., if one parent has compounds ACDFG and the other parent BCGHL then the hybrid would have ABCDFGHL and sometimes something more. Anna Picman and Bruce Bohm studied flavonoids of Tiarella (Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 10[1982]: 139-143) and they found that T. laciniata has in fact fewer compounds than either T. trifoliata or T. unifoliata. I did not want to bring up this evidence, because the authors sampled only one population of T. laciniata. (BEN # 35 5-July-1992) ------------------------------------------ NITROGEN FIXATION IN SUGAR CANE Cross-posted from BNFNET-L list Gary Stacey: I have just returned [May 1992] from the American Society of Microbiology meeting that was held in New Orleans, LA. During this meeting, I had occasion to listen to the talk of Johanna Dobereiner concerning her work on nitrogen fixation in sugar cane in Brazil. She reported on the isolation of an endophytic Acetobacter strain that appears to play a significant role in providing nitrogen to sugar cane. During this talk, she made the surprising statement that Brazil is now recommending that sugar cane farmers not, yes not, use any nitrogen fertilizer on their crop. She showed a table that indicated that with specific cultivars (this effect was cultivar specific) there was no drop in yield between cuttings when the plants were not given nitrogen fertilizer. I was very impressed with these data and I wonder if I am missing something or if others have heard of this. Eric Triplett: Hello Gary. Yes, I have had many conversations with Dr. Dobereiner on her discovery of nitrogen-fixing sugar cane. IT IS VERY EXCITING! The data is very impressive and is supported by very solid N15 data. I first heard this story 2 years ago when I visited Rio. ... Shortly after learning this story in Rio, I heard a seminar by Anne Vidaver. She has found that perfectly healthy corn and sorghum plants contain lots of bacteria. She has no idea what they are doing. We should make a big push in the USA to get nitrogen- fixing corn. I think it is no longer "pie in the sky" research. The Brazilians have also noticed a significant cultivar effect with their endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Those lines of sugar cane which were bred under high nitrogen fertilizer conditions do not fix nitrogen with Acetobacter. [For more information on the nitrogen-fixing Acetobacter see Plant and Soil 108(1988): 23-31 and 137(1991): 111- 117. - AC] (BEN # 35 5-July-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW PUBLICATIONS Barth, F.R. 1991. Insects and flowers: The biology of partnership. Princeton Science Library, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 408 p. [paperback] ISBN 0-691-02523-1 Cost: CDN$ 17.95 [This is a paperback edition of the English 1985 translation from German 1982 book "Biologie eiener Begegnung: Die Partnershaft der Insekten und Blumen." The author is Professor of Zoology in the University of Vienna.] (BEN # 35 5-July-1992) ------------------------------------------ TRULY CANADIAN DEFINITION OF A TRUE BOTANIST "The true botanist knows a tree as soon as he sees it. He learns to distinguish it from a vegetable by merely putting his ear to it." -- Stephen Leacock (BEN # 35 5-July-1992) ------------------------------------------ PROCEEDINGS SAVED (RE: BEN #35) From: Susanne Rautio c/o aceska@cue.bc.ca The Proceedings of the Symposium on the B.C.'s Threatened and Endangered Species have found a sponsor. They will be published and distributed by the B.C. Federation of Naturalists, 321-1367 W. Broadway, Vancouver, B.C., V6H 4A9. Many BEN readers were interested in the Proceedings and some suggested that the Proceedings should be made available as an electronic file. (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ GROVE OF BIG WESTERN HEMLOCK TREES From: Adolf Ceska and Hans Roemer A grove of big western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) was reported to us by two employees of the MacMillan Bloedel Company. The grove is situated in a subalpine bowl at 750 to 950 m elevation and has near record-size hemlock trees scattered in the amabilis fir forest. Two biggest trees had DBH 2.52 and 2.38 m and height 38.71 and 52.12 m, respectively. The British Columbia record tree has DBH 2.59 m and height 54.88 m. The grove is at the headwaters of the Cous Creek SW of Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. The MacMillan Bloedel wants to log a part of the grove in 1993, but we recommended to protect it as "pocket wilderness." (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ GEUM CALTHIFOLIUM From: Terry Taylor c/o rtaylor@cue.bc.ca On July 16 I discovered a small population of Geum calthifolium at the base of the West Lion, and made a small collection which I gave to Olivia for the U.B.C. collection. They had some previous material collected by Fred Perry and John Davidson in 1914 and 1915, but no later collections from this far south. (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ THREATENED STAND OF GARRY OAK IN DUNCAN From: Adolf Ceska An interesting Garry oak site in Duncan (Vancouver Island) is threatened by a near-by subdivision. Although the stand bears signs of heavy grazing (dominant ground cover is orchard grass - Dactylis glomerata), it has some interesting native plants, such as a large population of upland yellow violet (Viola praemorsa). On the transition between the forest edge and wetlands we found a large population of tall woolly-heads (Psilocarphus elatior - the 3rd extant population in B.C. I know) and a smaller population of needle-leaf navarretia (Navarretia intertexta - less than 10 populations known in B.C.). (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ ANCIENT EVIDENCE SHREDDED From: Times-Colonist @ Ring Last year the Capitol Regional District (CRD) drained Heal Lake in the Victoria Highlands in order use it as a garbage dump. The peaty deposits of the lake bottom offered a long palaeobotanical and dendrochronological record for the last 12,000 (or so) years. In order to assist Dr. Richard Hebda with the work on Heal Lake, the CRD gave him a small grant. What they did not give him, however, was the time needed for collecting dendrochronological data. One day logs from the lake were hauled to a heap and few days later were shredded for hog fuel. (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ TWO RECREATION BRANCH TECHNICAL REPORTS From: Terje Vold, BC Forest Service, Recreation Branch We've just completed two reports which may be of interest to BEN viewers: 1. An inventory of undeveloped watersheds in BC (larger than 5000 ha). 2. Undeveloped watersheds on Vancouver Island larger than 1000 ha. If any one would like a copy, give me a call at (604) 387-8482. (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ AGRIMONIA REQUEST From: Naohiro Naruhashi, Toyama, Japan I would greatly appreciate seeds of Agrimonia striata and of any other Agrimonia from your area for our cytological studies of Agrimonia. Dr. Naohiro Naruhashi, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toyama University, Gofuku, Toyama 930, Japan. (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ PINK AGOSERIS IN THE ROCKIES (see BEN #24) Bill van Dieren reported pink Agoseris (A. lackschewitzii) from Bald Hills above Maligne Lake. Agrostis lackschewitzii was described in 1990 by Henderson & Moseley (Henderson, D.M., R.K. Moseley & A.F. Cholewa. 1990. A new Agoseris (Asteraceae) from Idaho and Montana. Systematic Botany 15(3): 462-465). Agoseris lackschewitzii is related to A. aurantiaca and A. glauca : A. lacksch. A. aurantiaca A. glauca outer villous ciliate villous phyllaries obtuse acute acuminate eglandular eglandular glandular beak < body > body < body anther tube 1.2-1.8 mm 1.5-3.0 mm 3.5-6.0 mm flowers pink orange yellow Agoseris elata (not in B.C., but south) has a beak longer than the achene body and glandular trichomes on outer phyllaries. (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ AGROPYRON & BOUTELOUA PUZZLE From: Don Gayton, BC Forest Service, Nelson As a BC and a BEN neophyte, I don't have a contribution but rather a question. As a recent prairie emigre, I am puzzled about the distribution of two grass species, and wonder if anyone has any hypothetical, plausible, logical or even factual explanation for the following: why do the Rockies seem to form an absolute western boundary for blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and an absolute eastern boundary for bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatum), when theoretically their niches should overlap? (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ PUBLICATIONS Douglas, Sheila. 1992. Trees and shrubs of the Queen Charlotte Island: an illustrated guide. Published by Islands Ecological Research, Box 970, Queen Charlotte City, B.C., V0T 1S0. 99 p. ISBN 0-9695550-0-8 Price: CDN$ 14.50 [paperback] [Nice little book with over 30 plates of line drawings by the author. I missed little tidbits of information relating to the Queen Charlotte Islands, such as a note on the famous Golden Spruce. - AC] (BEN # 36 10-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ TRISETUM WOLFII - NEW GRASS FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA From: George Douglas Recently, Steve Darbyshire (Agriculture Canada, Ottawa) sent me a xerox copy of a B.C. collection of Trisetum wolfii Vasey. This is a first record for B.C. and, according to the maps in Flora of Alberta (Packer 1983) and the Rare Plants of Saskatchewan (Maher et al. 1979), is a fourth record for Canada. The B.C. collection was taken in 1968 by George Scotter (CWS) in the alpine zone (2690 m) in Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park. It is quite likely that other B.C. collections of this awnless Trisetum are hidden in various collections. The species is relatively frequent in the western U.S. from E WA and MT south to NM and CA. (BEN # 37 26-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ LOOKING FOR STUMPS OF BROAD-LEAVED TREES IN VICTORIA From: Meindert de Jong Chondrostereum purpureum is a commonly occurring fungus which will probably be developed as a biological silvicide to con- trol stump sprouting in hardwoods. It is a wound invader of broad-leaved trees. Common presence of this Basidiomycete in nature causes a natural infection danger. The intended biocon- trol may cause an added risk to non-target plants besides the already occurring natural risk. To estimate the natural infec- tion pressure, I want to perform a survey of the natural occurrence of basidiocarps of this fungus in the woods nearby Victoria. Accordingly, I would like to inspect some one year old stubs of deciduous trees, when I visit Victoria (in September?). If you happen to know some one year old clearcuts of deciduous forests (especially with Populus spp.), botanical gardens with much pruning of broad-leaved trees, stumps of felled roadside trees in the surrounding of Victoria, then I would greatly appreciate to know the exact location! (BEN # 37 26-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ ERADICATION OF MILKWEED versus PROTECTION OF MONARCH BUTTERFLY I came across an interesting posting in BIOSPH-L on a possible conflict between the protection of monarch butterfly and listing milkweed as a noxious weed. I solicited answers from Roy Cranston, weed specialist, and from Cris Guppy, entomologist. - AC biosph-l: The Monarch butterflies winter in a very small area of Mexican forest, which is in danger from illegal logging and intrusion by squatters. In the past few weeks the Mexican government has made steps to extend the Monarch butterfly's land reserves. Canada is also being urged to re-think it's classification of the Milkweed as a noxious weed. The milkweed is an essential plant to the Monarch Butterflies survival. The current act requires land owners to destroy all milkweed they encounter. Roy Cranston, weed specialist: Milkweed is not listed as noxious in the Seeds Act and Regulations administered by Agriculture Canada nor is it considered noxious under Weed Act legislation in British Columbia or Alberta. According to Bhowmik and Bandeen, Can. Journal of Plant Science, Biology of Canadian Weeds Series, July 1976, milkweed is classified noxious in Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec and Nova Scotia. I don't know what the situation is in other provinces. Cris Guppy, entomologist: Monarchs breed in southern BC, with the larvae eating milkweed. However, even if all milkweed was eliminated from the province, I do not think that the overall Monarch population would be greatly affected because too few adults are produced in BC. The Monarch population west of the Rockies overwinters in California and Baja. The Monarch population east of the Rockies overwinters in northeastern Mexico, and is the one which overwinters in the threatened forests mentioned in your memo. There were newspaper reports of a very severe (30%?) die off of overwintering Monarchs this past winter, apparently due to logging of the forests exposing the butterflies to winter storms and freezing. The eco-tourism idea has proven to have a significant protective value for the overwintering Monarchs, because the dollar value to the local villages is much higher than that received from logging. Eco-tourism has only been developed for a couple overwintering sites however. Monarch breeding in southern Canada east of the Rockies probably results in a highly significant contribution to the overwintering population. Hence reduction in the amount of milkweed available for use as a larval food plant is likely to result in a significant reduction in the size of the overwintering Monarch population, which is likely to make overwintering deaths much more significant. Ontario and Manitoba have the largest breeding populations of Monarchs, so their designation of milkweed as a noxious weed is especially significant, but some breeding occurs in every province that has milkweed. As an added note, milkweed is a very significant source of nectar for many species of butterflies and moths, as well as wild bees and other insects. It is recommended as a nectar source in all books on butterfly gardening. Milkweed is also the only larval food source for a number of insects, so if milkweed becomes rare in a province, the insects are likely to become endangered in that province. (BEN # 37 26-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ WHEN COMETH THE NEW FLORA OF CALIFORNIA ? From: Art Guppy I hear that the new version of Jepson's Manual of the Flowering Plants of California will be published this year. Has anyone any information on this? Title? Publisher? Price? (BEN # 37 26-August-1992) ------------------------------------------ DR. BARBARA McCLINTOCK (1902-1992) Dr. Barbara McClintock, 1983 Nobel Prize Winner in genetics, died September 3, 1992. She received the Nobel Prize for her discovery that certain genes can change their position on the chromosomes of cells. She worked with maize and her discoveries of gene transpositions and jumping genes were accepted only after the progress in molecular biology had provided rational explanations for her findings. Ref.: Keller, E.F. 1983. A feeling for the organism : the life and work of Barbara McClintock. W.H. Freeman, San Francisco. xix + 235 p. Kittredge, M. 1991. Barbara McClintock. Chelsea House Publishers, New York. 103 p. (BEN # 38 4-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ BIODIVERSITY NETWORK NEWS - FIELD NOTES BRITISH COLUMBIA From: IGC Conservation Biology Desk One of British Columbia's rarest plants, Lupinus lepidus, has been located in only four places. The largest population (upwards of 200 plants in some years) leads a precarious existence on a 10 x 60 m strip between railroad tracks and the main highway just north of Duncan, British Columbia. The British Columbia Conservation Data Centre botanist, George Douglas, learned recently of plans to dig a trench for a fibre optics transmission line along the railroad right-of-way. It looked like the line might go right through the population of Lupinus lepidus so George contacted the BC Telephone Company, who own the fibre optics line. Within a few days, the company's environmental officers met with George on site and assured him that they would not disturb the tiny lupine population since the line would be located on the other side of the tracks. (BEN # 38 4-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ MYSTERY OF THE HERBARIUM POLYESTER TAPE SOLVED (BEN # 27) From: Adolf Ceska In my survey of herbarium mounting techniques (BEN # 27), Mike Crisp from Australia strongly suggested 3M polyester tape # 8440 for strapping herbarium specimens. Nobody in North America has ever heard about a 3M tape with this number. After the correspondence with Australian 3M companies, we found a North American equivalent. It is made by the 3M and it is called Scotch Brand Number 5 Electrical Tape. No, it is not that black smudgy stuff that sticks to your fingers when you do "home improvements" - it is clear and has excellent parameters. The Herbarium Supply Company read about 3M tape #8440 in BEN and did their own independent search for the identity of the tape. They came to the same result, requested all possible documentation and testing results from the 3M Company, and concluded that the tape would indeed be ideal for herbarium purposes. They will be supplying the tape in 66 m rolls. They will have rolls custom cut and I recommended the widths used in the Canberra Herbarium, i.e., 3 mm, 4.5 mm and 6 mm. The Definite Length Tape Dispenser (readily available from the 3M Co. for over $100) is highly recommended and will also be supplied by the Herbarium Supply Co. The address of the Herbarium Supply Company is: Herbarium Supply Company 3483 Edison Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 Phone/FAX (415) 366-8868 (800) 348-2338 The owner and manager is Mr. Casper (Cap) Offutt III. (BEN # 38 4-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ THE LYCOPSIDA: A SYMPOSIUM Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 79(3) (Summer 1992) This excellent issue of the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden can be ordered from: Department Eleven Missouri Botanical Garden P.O. Box 299 St. Louis, MO 63166-0299, U.S.A. The issue costs US$ 30.00 (+ shipment $2.00 in the U.S., $3.00 non-U.S. destinations), make check or money order payable to Missouri Botanical Garden. The payment should accompany the order, for institutional orders add $1.00 invoicing fees, if payment is not enclosed. This publications covers many aspects of palaeobotany of Lycopsida, as well as the recent taxonomical problems. This is an indispensable publication for anybody who is interested in pteridophytes. If you are from Missouri, you can check it in the nearest library that carries the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. (BEN # 38 4-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ BIODIVERSITY DISCUSSION LIST BIODIV-L was established to help with the workshop "Needs and Specifications for a Biodiversity Network" that was held in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in July 1992. The intention of this list is to discuss technical opportunities, administrative and economic issues, practical limitations and scientific goals, leading to recommendations for the establishment of a biodiversity network. In order to subscribe to the list, send a message to: listserv@bdt.ftpt.ansp.br and within the message type text: subscribe biodiv-l your_first_name your_last_name (BEN # 38 4-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW PUBLICATION Gates, Phil. 1992. The aliens are coming. - Plant life and greenhouse effect. Puffin Books, London, New York, etc. 126 p. ISBN 0-14-034636-8 Cost: CDN$ 4.99 [paperback] This is a book for children (of any age). It deals with introduced plants and problems related with them. The author suggests many simple experiments that will teach children, how the plant lives and what makes introduced weeds so aggressive. The book was reviewed in the New Scientist some time ago. (BEN # 38 4-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ POST-DOCTORAL POSITION -- WATERSHED MODELLER Adapt and extend hydrologic models to analyze effects of land use and climate change on peak and low streamflows in mountain watersheds. Ph.D. in hydrology or related field, experience with computer modelling required. Full-time, fixed-term 12-month position, $25,000-$30,000 depending on experience. Full benefits. Send letter of application, complete resume, transcripts of university work, and three letters of recommendation by Sept. 25, 1992 to: Dr. Logan Norris, Head, Dept. of Forest Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5705. For more information, contact Dr. Gordon Grant (503- 750-7328; grant@fsl.orst.edu) or Dr. Julia Jones (503-737-6578; jjones@fsl.orst.edu). (BEN # 39 7-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ POST-DOCTORAL POSITION -- QUANTITATIVE FLORISTICS The Department of Botany at Oklahoma State University seeks candidates for a 9-11 month postdoctoral position for United States Forest Service-funded research on quantitative floristics. Familiarity with conservation biology, botanical nomenclature, library methods, computer spreadsheets, statistical methods, and word processing is essential. For full consideration, applications must be received by November 1, 1992. Anticipated starting date is January 1, 1993. For application and position details, please contact Dr. Michael Palmer, Department of Botany, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK 74078 USA, Bitnet: BTNYMWP@OSUCC, Phone: 405-744-7717. Mike will be out of the country from Sept. 1 - Sept. 18, so please inquire after Sept. 18. (BEN # 39 7-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ WHEN COMETH THE NEW FLORA OF CALIFORNIA? (BEN # 36) Tom Rosatti : Thanks for the e-mail concerning The Jepson Manual. I served as a scientific editor of that project from December of 1987 until May of 1992, when I became project coordinator of SMASCH, about which Tom Duncan has recently informed you via this same medium. [The goal of this project is to implement a data model and begin the development of a database of California collections held in California herbaria. - Tom Duncan] The last I knew, final text was planned for submittal to the publisher (UC Press, I think) in October of this year, with the book due out in early 1993 at a cost of $55. You should contact Stone or Vorobik, each of whom is still working on the project, to confirm these and other details. Sean O'Hara : A call to the Jepson Herbarium at UCB reveals that they are just finishing it up now, and it will go to UC Press soon. Apparently this is a TOTAL, LIKE WOW MAN!! redo still according to Jepson's original ideas, but with new illustrations, groupings, etc., Some interest in pre-ordering has been expressed throughout California, but nothing is yet set up, nor has a price even been set. It is expected to be out in December/January. Inquiries SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO THE ALREADY OVERWORKED HERBARIUM STAFF (my emphasis as I know what pressure they are under!), but might be made to U.C. Press (1-(800)-822-6657), though they do not have any real information at the moment. You might try in late fall to see if things are more concrete. (BEN # 39 7-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ PERGAMON & ELSEVIER PRICE INCREASES From: Peter Brueggeman [cross-posted from ] Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library is analyzing price increases for its subscriptions and has examined its Elsevier and Pergamon titles. I thought others might find this analysis interesting....Peter Brueggeman Our 33 Pergamon subscriptions are increasing from a total expenditure of $32,336.97 for 1992 to $41,840.50 for 1993, an overall increase of 29.39%. The spread for price increases ranged from 9.4 to 55%. We used Pergamon's quote of $1.90/pound sterling which they are honoring through Dec. 31. Our 39 Elsevier subscriptions are increasing from $39,621.51 to $52,484.65, a 32.45% increase. The spread ranged from 8% to 91%. We used Elsevier's quote of 1.66 Guilders/$1.00. Titles with large increases are supposed to have increased numbers of pages for 1993. [Peter Brueggeman lists the price increases for each journal. If you are interested in the full listing, send me a note: aceska@cue.bc.ca] (BEN # 39 7-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW LIST: ECOSYS-L From: Joachim Benz The ECOSYS-L mailing list is intended to provide a forum to discuss problems in the fields of ecosystem theory and modelling. In addition there should be discussed the current state of the art and future of standardization and documentation of mathematical descriptions for ecological processes. ECOSYS-L can be used also as a forum to discuss results of the just started research project 'Analysis of existing models of nutrient-cycles in agro-ecosystems'. One of the main tasks of this project is, to built up a database of documentations of mathematical description of ecological processes (ECOBAS). Information can be requested from ECOBAS via E-mail. (We are interested to put through this project with a broad discussion with other researchers. Further information about this project can be requested from Joachim Benz .) To subscribe, send the following command to LISTSERV@DEARN (bitnet) or LISTSERV@vm.gmd.de (in the BODY of e-mail): subscribe ECOSYS-L firstname lastname After subscribing, messages may be sent to the list by sending to: ECOSYS-L@DEARN (bitnet) or ECOSYS-L@vm.gmd.de. Owner: Joachim Benz (BEN # 39 7-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW PUBLICATION - BARBARA McCLINTOCK BOOK (re: BEN # 38) Fedoroff, N. & D. Bolstein [Editors]. 1992. The Dynamic Genome: Barbara McClintock's Ideas in the Century of Genetics. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 422 p., illus. indexes, Cloth $65 (+ $5.50 postage) ISBN 0-87969-422-X Nina Fedoroff's book on McClintock's work has just become available. It is an eclectic collection of memoirs and technical reviews of McClintock's ideas, personality and scientific contributions, most composed by intimate acquaintances on the occasion of B.M.'s 90th birthday. Call toll-free: 1-800-843-4388 (continental U.S. and Canada) or Call 516-349-1930 (all other locations) FAX: 516-349-1946 (BEN # 39 7-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ AQUILEGIA SEEDS WANTED From: Scott Hodges I am currently working on the genus Aquilegia and would like to receive seed of species in your area. Ideally, seed from different individuals should be kept separate. I am particularly interested in seed from A. brevistyla though seed from any species would be helpful. My address is: Scott Hodges Dept. of Biological Sciences Rutgers University 101 Warren St. Newark, NJ 07102 USA E-mail: Doug_Bush@axon.rutgers.edu (BEN # 40 23-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ POSITION OPENING: COMPUTER SPECIALIST The California Academy of Sciences, located in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, has a full time opening for a Computer Specialist in the Botany Department. This position is funded by grant money and is for a two-year period. This position is to undertake and complete the preliminary stages for a project to computerize all the collection data for the California specimens housed at the herbarium of California Academy of Sciences (CAS and DS) as part of the Specimen MAnagement System for California Herbaria (SMASCH) which is an inter-institutional project involving also the herbaria of the University of California at Berkeley (UC) and Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSA). The holder of this position will have to work closely with botanical and computer staff at all three institutions. An additional duty of this position is the responsibility for connecting all the Academy's research departments and associated research library to NSFNet. Application deadline: October 9, 1992 For more information (skills, qualifications, etc.) contact: Bruce Bartholomew (BEN # 40 23-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ SAD NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA Jack Dietrich died of heart attack last week in Germany. Jack was a photo lab technician and later a boss of the electron microscope utility at the Biology Department of UVIC. He retired several years ago, but he retained his interest in photography and his last trip to his native Germany was to attend a photographic show. He was always ready to help anyone and he will be warmly remembered by all of us who knew him. - AC (BEN # 40 23-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ WORKSHOPS IN METHODOLOGY OF BIODIVERSITY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA The Wildlife Branch of the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks published the Proceedings of a workshop of February 27, 1992. ("Methodology for monitoring wildlife diversity in B.C. forests." BC MELP, Victoria. 77 p. ISBN 0-7726-1579). Almost all contributions dealt with animals and vegetation and plants were mentioned only as a part of the "habitat." The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks is preparing a second Biodiversity Methodology Workshop at Tigh-na-Mara south of Parksville (Vancouver Island) on January 20-21, 1993. The next workshop will focus not just on wildlife and habitat, but also plants. If you have any comments, or if you are interested in further information, contact Trudy Chatwin . (BEN # 40 23-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ LEPYRODICLIS HOLOSTEOIDES (CARYOPHYLLACEAE) "NEW" TO NORTH AMERICA From: Madrono 39(1992): 240-242. This interesting note by Richard K. Rabeler and Richard R. Old reports the occurrence and distribution of Lepyrodiclis in Idaho and Washington. L. holosteoides (C. Meyer) Fenzl ex. Fisch. & C. Meyer resembles some species of Stellaria, but has two styles and two entire capsule valves (like Minuartia). It was first found in Nez Perce County, Idaho in 1959 and has become a serious weed problem in green pea and wheat fields there and in Whitcom County, Washington. The plant is native in the Caucasus region of the ex-USSR and in Pakistan. (BEN # 40 23-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ FLORA OF AUSTRALIA - LICHENS The Flora of Australia will describe all the indigenous and naturalised plants found in Australia and its territories. There are keys for identification, notes, illustrations, maps of distribution, and bibliographic information. Volumes 1 to 50 will cover vascular plants, and volume 51 onwards will deal with non-vascular plants. To date thirteen volumes of the Flora of Australia have been published. Volume 54 deals with Lichens: Introduction and Lecanorales 1. It contains introductory chapters on lichens in Australia, including their structure, chemistry, ecology and classification, as well as history of their discovery. The Flora is published by the AGPS Press and further information can be obtained from AGPS Mail Order Sales, GPO BOX 84, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia. (BEN # 40 23-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ NEW NETWORK LISTS FOREST is an international electronic mailing list has been set up for forest researchers. The mailing list is intended to be a general-purpose forum for all issues that can be fitted into email and are raised within IUFRO members and other parties interested in forestry sciences. You can join the list by sending a subscription to: mailserver@nic.funet.fi The subscription should contain only four words on one line: subscribe forest Physically, the mailing list resides at the State Computing Centre, Espoo, Finland. The same computer nic.funet.fi hosts one of Europe's largest software archives accessible with ftp. We are connecting the list to some usenet groups, but his will not be available globally for now. If you want to reach the administrator of the list, please send email to: forest-request@nic.forest.fi Please do not send administrative material to the list and all its members. The mailserver is still somewhat experimental, but we try to solve possible problems quickly. What is suitable material to the list? Almost anything that is not personal and has at least some general interest among forest scientists. Announcements of events and positions are maybe the most interesting ones. If you have questions that you do not know whom to ask, go ahead on the list. These questions include such as "what is a recommended book to learn of something?", "is anybody using software package A to solve a particular problem?", and so on. We hope that this mailing list will see lots of activity. Please spread the word among your colleagues. (BEN # 40 23-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ BIBSOFT BIBSOFT is an international electronic forum for anyone interested in discussing software designed for personal bibliographic database management. Some examples of relevant topics for BIBSOFT: How to choose a program Comparisons of programs Downloading from library catalogs and other databases: It sounds so easy; why is it so hard? Standards and formats for bibliographic information Citation formatting -- how well does it work? etc., etc (These topics are just suggestions to indicate the scope of BIBSOFT.) BIBSOFT is not restricted to a particular software program or hardware platform. The following programs are examples of dedicated bibliography software. The electronic mail addresses following some programs are for computer conferences devoted to that program. To subscribe, send the following message: SUBSCRIBE BIBSOFT First-name Last-name to: LISTSERV@INDYCMS.BITNET or to: LISTSERV@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU BIBSOFT is not moderated! Any message you send is sent directly to the entire membership list. Please make sure your messages are intended for public consumption! (BEN # 40 23-September-1992) ------------------------------------------ DON'T DRY YOURSELVES !!! Adolf, perhaps this is of use in BEN! - Rick Kool In drying plants, botanists often dry themselves. Dry words and dry facts will not fire hearts. John Muir Rick, John Muir obviously did not know Bohemian botanists. They don't dry themselves. On the other hand, I have to press myself hard to press plants. And I have pressed quite a few. No wonder one has to get depressed once a while. - Adolf (BEN # 40 23-September-1992)